Pathology of understanding hadith Case study (unification of tradition and hadith based on letter 77 of Nahj al-Balaghah)

Systemic understanding of hadith depends on the application of the rules of understanding. Obstacles are always available in the way of hadith understanding, disrupting systemic understanding. Therefore, identifying the harms and barriers to understanding the hadith contribute significantly to the accurate application of the rules of understanding, and keeps understanding of hadith away from the non-methodical and incorrect explanations. One of the disadvantages of understanding hadith is the confusion between tradition and hadith. Imam Ali (AS) advises Ibn Abbas in letter 77 of Nahj al-Balaghah that he may discuss with them through tradition while facing the Kharijites. This article seeks to investigate this issue through letter 77 of Nahj al-Balaghah. Based on the investigation, no case dealt with the unification of tradition and hadith. The author studied several descriptions and translations of Nahj al-Balaghah with a descriptive-analytical method. Therefore, the commentators and translators of the 77th letter of Nahj al-Balaghah have considered the word sunnah and hadith in the said letter as synonymous. If according to sermon 127 of Nahj al-Balaghah and the application of tradition in the first and second century AH, it becomes clear that the word tradition does not mean a hadith, and it implies seerah and methods. So, Imam Ali (AS), in this letter, asks Ibn Abbas to express examples of behavior (tradition) of the Prophet (PBUH) while facing the Kharijites.